Easy Pumpkin Hummus Recipe With Butter Beans
This creamy and delicious Pumpkin Hummus is the perfect autumn/fall appetizer. Made with a blend of roasted butternut squash, butter beans, garlic, and spices it’s packed with flavor and nutrients. Served warm or cold, it makes a beautiful, edible, centrepiece for the table that your guests will love.
In This Article
What Makes This Recipe So Good?
Pumpkin is a rich source of beta-carotene (that the body converts to vitamin A) along with many B vitamins as well as smaller amounts of iron, magnesium, and manganese. It also contains vitamin C however, this diminishes rapidly when cooking at a higher heat. Butter beans give us an abundance of fibre, along with many more minerals, while the tahini Tahini provides protein, good fats, plus even more vitamins and minerals (especially calcium!).
And if that wasn’t enough we get all the benefits from the wonderful antioxidant-rich olive oil too. A big plus to making your own hummus at home as store-bought hummus generally contains canola oil.
Ingredients – What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
These are relatively simple pantry staples you’ll either have on hand or can pick up from your local supermarket. The dukkha may be the trickiest one depending on where you live. If you can’t find it though, simply sprinkle the hummus with your favourite combination of nuts and seeds. It also looks beautiful with some pomegranate arils in the mix too.
- Butternut pumpkin/squash – Deliciously sweet at the perfect pumpkin to make a homemade pumpkin puree with.
- Butter beans – Traditionally garbanzo beans/chickpeas are the legume used to make hummus but butter beans are a great substitute that make it extra creamy.
- Tahini – Hulled tahini is the best choice for taste and nutrient absorption. The unhulled variety can be quite bitter.
- Extra virgin olive oil – Adds depth and richness to the dip, which will only be as good as the olive oil you choose – so if you splurge on one pantry item make it this.
- Lemon juice – The high acidity helps to balance out the other, more robust flavours in this dip.
- Cumin – Also adds depth of flavor with its warmth and earthiness.
- Smoked paprika – This brings a little smokiness making it taste like the pumpkin has come fresh off the flame.
- Salt and a few grinds of black pepper – Enhances all the other beautiful flavours here. Add this to taste because you may like a little more or less than I’ve added.
- Garlic cloves – There is only a whiff of it in this recipe, so if you’re not a big garlic fan no fear. The garlic simply infuses the olive oil to add a little more flavour.
- Thyme – This is absolutely delicious once gently fried in the olive oil! It’s so crispy. You can even crumble this over the top of the dish instead of using it as a garnish if you prefer.
- Dukkha and pumpkin seeds – These are optional extras to sprinkle over the top. If you don’t have any or can’t find dukkha easily, just replace it with some sesame seeds or your topping of choice.
- Cold water – Helps make the final product super smooth.
This recipe is generous so should you have any leftovers use it as a roasted pumpkin hummus spread. It’s great on toast, in wraps, or even to spread over rice cakes.
How To Make This Easy Pumpkin Hummus
This is a great dip for game day given the volume it makes. While it may seem a little more involved than the classic hummus, it doesn’t require a lot of hands on time at all. Once the pumpkin in the oven all that’s needed is warming the oil very briefly, then blending everything together.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C), peel and de-seed the pumpkin and chop into 1-inch/~2.5cm chunks.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, top with the pumpkin then drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Roast for 25-30 minutes until edges are slightly charred.
- While the pumpkin cooks add 100ml of olive oil to a small saucepan. Smash a garlic clove and add it to the warmed oil along with the thyme and gently fry over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant. Once done, discard the garlic and set the thyme aside.
- Tip the oil into the bowl of a food processor then add the strained butter beans, cooked pumpkin, tahini, lemon juice, salt, cumin, and paprika. Blitz until it starts to combine.
- Slowly drizzle in ¼ cup of cold water with the food processor on a medium speed. If the dip is still too thick you can add a little more and blitz again. Blend until you have a completely smooth dip
- Dollop all of the pumpkin hummus into the middle of a large plate and spread it out with the back of a spoon in a circular motion. Leave a rim around the edge and make a couple of indents in the middle that will hold the extra drizzle of olive oil. Watch the video in the recipe card for a visual how-to.
- Just before serving, generously drizzle over more olive oil, then sprinkle with the dukkha, and pumpkin seeds. Place the reserved thyme sprigs in the middle.
- Serve with pita bread, crispy pita chips, tortilla chips, or some crusty sourdough bread.
This is a great recipe to make in advance, as the flavours meld and deepen over time. If doing this, skip step 7 until you’re ready to serve so the oil doesn’t harden in the fridge.
Substitutions And Variations
For a slightly spicier version add in a little cayenne pepper, chili powder, or red pepper flakes (chili flakes) when blending. Or, if you’d like a stronger garlic flavour, try adding in some roasted garlic or a small, raw garlic clove.
Peeled, roasted sweet potato can replace the pumpkin if preferred. This will change the flavour profile, and texture of the dip but it’s also super tasty.
The same quantity of canned pumpkin puree can replace the fresh pumpkin, but I do find the roasted pumpkin much more flavoursome.
Tips For Success With This Recipe
Using hulled tahini will ensure the hummus is not bitter.
Add water gradually to reach your desired consistency. Adding too much too quickly can make the hummus watery.
Always taste the hummus before serving. You may find you’d like more salt, a touch more lemon juice or tahini to suit your tastes.
Storing/Freezing/Make Ahead
This dip is even more delicious the next day so it’s a great one to make in advance in need. It can be stored in an air-tight container for several days, but if making ahead leave off the topping until serving. Leftovers can be stored for up to one week in the fridge or for several months in the freezer.
If freezing – for ease of defrosting I suggest freezing large quantities in smaller amounts. Use freezer safe containers or small freezer bags to do this. To enjoy, simply defrost what you need in the fridge overnight. If you find the hummus has separated, or is a bit bland (which can happen in the freezer) add in small amounts of olive oil, salt, tahini, and lemon juice to your taste.
FAQ
This will truly go with just about anything savoury. To serve it’s a great match with vegetable chips, crackers of any sort, and fresh sourdough bread. The leftovers can be used as a spread for sandwiches and wraps too.
This really is about balancing flavours. If you think your hummus is not quite to your taste try adding in a touch more lemon juice, salt, a drizzle of oil, or perhaps even a little more unhulled tahini. Do this slowly though, so you have time to adjust to the flavour changes and ensure you like it.
More Dips And Spreads
If you try this recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment, rate it, and remember to tag @wholenaturalkitchen in your pics or reels on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok!
Pumpkin Hummus
Equipment
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Small saucepan
Ingredients
- 500 g butternut pumpkin/squash
- 1 can butter beans drained and rinsed
- ⅓ cup hulled tahini
- ¼ cup lemon juice (this was 1 large lemon for me)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 100 ml olive oil plus extra for drizzling
- ¼ cup cold water (up to ½ a cup if needed)
- 1 clove garlic smashed with the side of a knife
- A few sprigs of thyme
- Dukkha, pumpkin seeds, extra olive oil (optional toppings, or choose your own)
- Serve with vegetable chips, lavosh, crackers, or fresh sourdough.
Instructions
To Make The Pumpkin
- Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F)
- Cut the skin from the pumpkin, remove the seeds and chop into 2cm cubes (~1 inch). Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt and toss to combine.
- Place the pumpkin on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and roast for 25-30 minutes. You want the edges to be a little charred.
To Make The Hummus
- Just before the pumpkin is ready, add the 100ml of olive oil to a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the smashed garlic clove and the thyme and gently fry for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Once done, discard the garlic and set the thyme aside.
- Tip the warmed oil into a food processor along with the butter beans, cooked pumpkin, tahini, lemon juice, salt, cumin, and paprika. Blitz until the mix is well combined and starts to get the consistency of hummus.
- With the food processor on a medium speed, drizzle in ¼ cup of water. If you find the dip is still too thick you can add a little more and blitz again. You want to be able to move crackers through it easily without them snapping.
- To serve – dollop all of the pumpkin hummus into the middle of a large plate and spread it out with the back of a spoon in a circular motion. Leave a rim around the edge and make a couple of indents in the middle that will hold the extra drizzle of olive oil.
- Just before serving, drizzle over some olive oil, then sprinkle with the dukkha, and pumpkin seeds. Place the reserved thyme sprigs in the middle.
- Serve with vegetable chips, crackers of any sort, or fresh sourdough bread.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Gabby Campbell
Gabby is a degree qualified Naturopath/Nutritionist (BHSc Nat) with a love of all whole foods. She started her Naturopathic career in clinical practice before making the move to recipe development and online education – a result of wanting to combat the misinformation that abounds on the internet about food and health. Whole Natural Kitchen aims to transform the way you think about healthy eating by helping you embrace an abundance of nutritious foods while leaving the health fads behind. MORE ABOUT GABBY